Flow controlling apparatus



Oct; 4, 1932. I BYERS 1,880,778

FLOW CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 4,1932. H. J. BYERS FLOW CQNTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 20, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 4, 1932 UNITED STATES HARRY J. nuns, ornneumom, TEXAS I FLOW CONTROLLING APPARATUS Application filed November20, 1931. Serial No. 576,339.

This invention relates to a flow controlling ap aratus.

object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the characterdescribed particularly designed for use in oil and gas wells forpermitting the flow of fluid therefrom and whereby said flow may beautomatically stopped. other object of the invention is to provideapparatus of the character described which will permit the flow of oilor gas from a producing well and which is of such construction that theflow of fluid will be stopped incase the oil or gas flowing from thewell becomes ignited.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in apparatus of thecharacter described, a flow line in the well through which the fluid mayflow from the well and which is suspended by means of a fusible ordisplaceable support which, when removed, will permit the flow line tobe lowered into the well, said apparatus being provided with means forclosing the lower end of the flow line when so lowered to prevent theflow of fluid from the well, upwardly therethrough.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particularrelation to certain novel features of construction, operation andarrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specificationand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- 7 Figure 1 shows avertical sectional View of the apparatus.

Figure'2 shows a side View thereof shown the usual la eral outlet line3. The numeral,

4 designates a flow line or tubing which extends down in the casing andwhose lower end is adjacent the upper end of the screen or liner 5 inthe well. This screen may be of any conventional construction, and asshown, consists of a perforated length of pipe.

The lower end of the flow tube 4 may be provided with perforations as 6and above said perforations may have the oppositely disposed verticalslots 7, 7.

Around, and slidable on, the perforated lower end of the flow tube 4there is a sleevelike valve 8 which may consist of a length of pipe ofthe required dimensions and which has the perforations 9 adapted tobemoved into and out of registration with the perforations 6. A cross pin10 has its ends anchored to the valve 8 and works through the slots 7.

On the lower end of the valve 8, and closing said lower end, there isthe head 11 having its lower end reduced as at 12, so that it will fitwithin the upper end of said screen and forming the external annularshoulder 13 which is faced with the seal rings as 14 formed of lead orother soft metal.

Within the lower end of the flow tube 4 and seated on the head'll thereis a coil spring 17 whose upper end abuts the cross pin 18 whose endsare anchored to said tube 4.

, The flow tube 4 extends up through the easing head 2 and has acoupling 19 on the upper end thereof.

'On the wear ring 20 of the casing head there is a sleeve like housing21 whose lower end may be tapered to fit into a downwardly tapering seat22 in said ring. Said housing 21 may be supported on the casing head,however, in any selected manner.

The upper end of the housing 21 fits closely around the coupling 19 andits lower end is inwardly thickened to fit closely around the flow tube4 thus providing an annular internal shoulder 23 within said housing.

The space between the lower end of the coupling 19 and the shoulder 28is filled with a supporting bushing 24, preferably of lead or otherreadily fusible metal, that is a metal having a lower melting point thanthat of the casing head 2, orflow line 4, or housing 21 and which formsa support for the flow tube 4 and supports said tube with the head 11 atthe lower end thereof spaced above the upper end of the liner or screen5.

The housing 21 has one or more ports 25 adjacent the shoulder 23 andleading outwardly from the space in which the support 24 is located.

When the well is producing the fluid will flow from the producing stratainto the screen and thence up through said screen and around the head 11and thence in through the registering ports 9, 6 and on up through thetu e 4. While the apparatus is in this position the cross rod will hangon the lower ends of the slots 7 with'said perforations 9, 6 inregistration In case of fire at the mouth of the well, that is, in casethe oil or gas should become ignited,

the housing 21 will ordinarily become heated to a sufliclent temperatureto melt out the support 24 which when melted will flow out through theports 25 and the tubing 4 will be correspondingly lowered by gravity.Thereuponthe seal rings 14 will land on the upper end of the screen orliner 5 and substantially shut ofi the flow of fluid up through saidscreen and the tubing will be further lowered, relative to the valve 8to carrythe I perforations 6 out of registration with the perforations9. The spring 17 will at this time act as a shock absorber to minimizethe shock as the lower end of the tube 4 lands on the head 11. Any oilor gaswithin the casing will thus be prevented'from entering the tube 4and flowing up to feed the flame. The oil or gas passing up through thecasing around the tube 4 maybe drawn ofi through the flow,

' melting out of the support 24. For this purpose a gas line 27 may beinstalled having a nozzle 28 adjacent the housing 21 and having acontrol valve 29 located at a safe distance from the well. In case offire as above stated the valve 29- may be opened to sup ly gas to thenozzle 28 under pressure, an this gas will be directed against thehousing 21 and when ignited will heat and melt out the fusible support24. &

Other means are shown for closing the lower end of the flow tube inFigures 3 and 5.

- As shown in Figures 3 the lower end of the flow tube 4' has anelongated tubular shoe 30' secured thereon whose lower end is prefergably formed with the flared seat 31. "Intermediate its ends "the" shoe30 has an internal annular shoulder, 32 and a surrounding packing 33closing the space between it and the casing 1. There is a perforatednipple 34 fitted up'through the shoe '30 and whose upformed with thehead 36 having the upwardly facing tapering seat 37 and whose lower endhas the radial lugs 38' which rest on the upper end of the liner orscreen 5.

In this form of the device, the oil or gas may flow up through thescreen 5 and pass bebetween the lugs 38 and thence u and into the nipple34 and thence on to t e ground surface through the flow tube 4.

The flow tube 4 is supported in the easing head, in a similar manner asthat shown in Figure 1 and in case of fire, when the support24 is meltedout the tube 4' will descend until'the seat 31 rests on the seat 37 andthe flow of fluid will be cut ofl.

In the form shown in Figure 5, the tube 39 is supported in the samemanner as shown in Figure 1 and its lower end is preferably formed withthe flared seat 40. j In this form there is an anchor pipe 41 resting onthe bottom of the hole and whose upper end carries a head 42 whose upperend 43 is upwardly tapered. The anchor pipe 41 may be held centered inthe screen or liner by means of the radial arms 44. In this form theacking 33 surrounds the lower end of the ow tube 39 and closes the spacebetween it and the casing 1. a

In case of -fire as above stated, when the support 24 is melted out theflow tube 39 will descend until its seat 40 rests closely against theseat 43 and the flow of fluid upwardly therethrough will becompletelycut oil and the fire thusextinguished. The drawings and descriptiondisclose what is now considered to be preferred forms of the inventionby way of. illustration only while the broad principle of the inventionwill be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The combination'with a flow tube in a v well, of means for suspendin'the tube including a fusible support, sald tube being movabledownwardly, when said-support is removed, and means for closing saidtube upon such downward movement to prevent theinflow of fluid into saidtube.

2. The combination with a flow tube in a well, of means, displaceable byheat, for supporting said tube in the well, said tube beingmovabledownwardly by gravity upon displacement of said .suppgrtingmeans, and means for closing the tu against the inflow of fluid from thewell, upon such downward movement of'the tube. v v

3.. The combination with a flow tube in a well, of a supgrt forsuspending said tube, said support disintegrative under. the

influence of heat to rmit the tube to move downwardly said tu being opento permit the inflow of fluid, from the well, and means for closing saidtube, against such inflow.

aasoms of fluid from the well, a fusible metal support adjacent themouth of the well from which the tube is suspended in the well, andmeans for closing said inlet upon the removal of said support and thedescent of the tube in the well.

6. The combination with a casing in a well, of a flow tube in saidcasing having an inlet to permit the inflow of fluid from the well, ameans on the casing includin a fusible metal support for suspending saitube, said tube being movable downward, by gravity,

upon the melting of said support and means for closing said inlet uponsuch downward movement of said tube.

7. The combination with a casing in a well, of a flow tube in saidcasing having an inlet to permit the inflow of fluid from the well intothe tube, means on the casing for suspending the tube in the well, saidsuspend-'- mg means including a housing having I a drain opening and asupport'within said housing supporting said tube and formed of fusiblemetal, said drain port being arranged to permit said support to drainout when melted whereby the tube will be permitted to move downwardly bygravity and means in the well for closing said inlet upon such downwardmovement of said tube.

In testimony whereof I have signed myname to this specification.

' HARRY J. BYERS.

